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Memory Quote 1 “He had seen a birthday party, with one child singled out and celebrated on his day, so that now he understood the joy of being an individual, special and unique and proud.” pg. 121 This quote is said when Jonas is depressed after seeing the memory of war, and the Giver is attempting to cheer him up by reminding him not all memories are bad.

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Memory Quote 1 This quote shows one side to memory, a double-edged sword. This quote shows that some memories can be pleasant and joyful, and as shown by the words “the joy of being an individual,” can also help shape the personality. The community lacks this, thus taking away a factor that helps decide personality. Good memories, like birthdays or holidays, leave an impact in our life, sometimes making us confident in a certain topic, or like going to a certain place, which are both aspects of our personality. In example, if you once had to give a speech and you succeeded with flying colors, you might be more confident in giving speeches. This also connects to the issue of amnesia, a problem with the brain where you forget some, or all memories. A person with amnesia, having forgotten good and bad memories, would lose their sense of identity, as a combination of both pleasant and unpleasant memories shape who we are; our fears, our likes, our similarities, and our differences.

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Memory Quote 2 “One of the children raised an imaginary rifle and made an attempt to destroy him with a firing noise… Then they were all silent, standing awkwardly, and the only sound was the sound of Jonas’s shuddering breaths. He was struggling not to cry.” pg. 134 This quote comes up in The Giver when Jonas goes to the playground and sees Asher playing with some other children playing war. After having experienced the memory of it, he immediately reacts, traumatized by the memory of it.

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Memory Quote 2 This quote also pertains to memory as it helps show that not all memory has to be good, in fact, some memories can be so thoroughly traumatizing, that they affect the way you look at things. When Jonas sees the children paying war, he is so overwhelmed by the memory of pure loss, fear, and death he experienced along with the memory. Seeing the children play and talk of the issue so lightly surprises him. This just goes to show that not all memories are good. For instance, let’s say a child were to fall off a tree. That child may be traumatized, and have a fear of heights. This shows how that bad memories also shape our personality, as they help make our fears. In modern society, there are many soldiers fresh out of war with places like Iraq. These people, possibly traumatized, may have an issue with war, like Jonas, and it may give them a fear of conflict, or they may have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and may have sudden surges of terrifying memories.

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Freedom and Choice Quote 1 “Jonas did not want to go back. He didn’t want the memories, didn’t want the honor, didn’t want the wisdom, didn’t want the pain. We wanted his childhood again… But the choice was not his.” pg. 121 This quote comes from after Jonas gets the memory of war, and he feels overwhelmed by the strong emotions, and doesn’t want to go on. But this is not his choice; he can’t turn away from his duty.

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Freedom and Choice Quote 1 This quote goes to show that in this community, people are controlled, and you have no say in it. People in this community are required to do their duty, giving them no sense of individuality. The Elders, which are reminiscent of dictators or tyrants, try to make an “ideal”, uneventful life, leading the people to put their utmost trust in them. In this community, everyone is exactly the same, with the exception of Jonas, with the capacity to see beyond, and is weighed down by the shackles of memories. To the people who have never tasted color, music, everyday experiences, this community is sheltered, while in reality, they are being deprived of the experiences of life. This is the polar opposite of the people who were victims of the Holocaust. People, who had lived lives full of experiences and tumult, were forced into a monotonous scheme, against their will. Slaves on the other hand, who had lived a life dictated by their masters and were freed, finally got a taste of the ever-elusive freedom, a taste they had never experienced before, just like how Jonas eventually was exposed to life.

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Freedom and Choice Quote 2 “The next morning, for the first time, Jonas did not take the pill. Something within him, something that had grown there through the memories, told him to throw the pill away.” pg. 129 This quote comes up in the book when Jonas gives Gabriel a memory, wishing that he could fell emotions like love, emotions he had felt in memories.

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Freedom and Choice Quote 2 This quote pertains to freedom and choice in the fact that this little action, although breaking the rules, is an action of freedom and choice. Jonas, exposed to the memories of emotion, made a choice based on that, instead of practicality, like he had been raised to do. His whole life he had been governed, or dictated, by the Elders, believing that they knew what was right. But, after experiencing the memories, and the emotions that came along with them, he came to realize that what the Elders was doing was wrong. The citizens had been living in a prison their whole lives, and never knew it, trusting the Elders with their lives, expecting them to know what is right. Jonas decides, in the small action of not taking the pill, that he will take control over his own life.